Collapsible crate



April 23, 1929. C SWPSON 1,710,274

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE Filed Oct. 21, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 114 mfo'b Patented A t. 23, 1929.

' CHARLES w. SIMPSON, or LA FERIA, 'rnxns.

coLLArsrBLE CRATE.

Application' filed October 21, 1924. Serial No. 744,964.

The present invention relates to crates or cases of the type employed for shipping citrus fruits or analogous articles, and an object of the invention is to provide a crate structure which may be easily collapsed into acompact form for storage, shipment, or for reshipment to the original shipper to permit of reuse.

Another object of this inventionis to provide a collapsible crate structure, wherein the side members are held in assembled condition by interchangeable end and partition members which may be readily disposed be; tween the side members of the crate when in a collapsed condition for shipping or storage purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a durable collapsible crate, which will be simple and cheap to manufacture, and which can be easily and quickly set up, or knocked down by the'ordinary layman.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification; and in which drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crate constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the crate and showing one of the side portions inan open position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the crate in a collapsed or knocked down condition.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the cratein a collapsed condition.

Figure 5 is a transverse section on line 5--5 of Figure 4; and,

Figure 6 is a view partly in section and partly in endelevation, showing the manner in which the side and end members are maintained in proper relation when the crate is in an assembled condition.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the improved collapsible crate preferably includes four similarly formed side members 10, end members or heads 11, and an intermediate bracing partition 12. It is of course to be understood that while the bracing partition 12 is generally used with crates of this type when being used for shipping citrus fruits or the like, that this partition may be dispensed with in accordance with the purpose for which the crate is to be used.

The side members 10, which as before stated are of identical construction, each is composed of longitudinal slats 13 connected by any suitable means at their ends by transverse clea ts 14, andat a point centrally of the slats by a central transverse cleat 15.

These cleats 14 and 15 are also of like con-' struction, and have their ends beveled inwardly as at- 16, at an angle of The inner or confronting face 17 of each cleat is preferably but not essentially provided with holes or sockets 18 being equally spaced from the ends of each cleat, and the purpose of which will be subsequently explained.

Referring now to the end members 11 and partition 12, the same are preferably of rectangular form, and have, respectively upon each of their marginal edges 19, barbed dowel pins 20 being so positioned as to align withthe sockets 18 in the cleat members when the crate is in an assembled condition. By so forming the members 11 and 12 of rectangular shape, and of a size wherein'the marginal edgesthereof are of a length equal to the length of the abutting faces 17 of the cleat members, permits of the end and partition members being interchangeable with respect to one another, and also permits of any marginal edge of the members being disposed in proper relation to any cleat of the side members 10. When the crate is in an assembled condition, the confronting faces of the cleat members will lie in abut ting relation with the marginal edges of the end partition members, with the dowel pins 20 extending into the sockets 18 thereby form- ;ing a marginal frame about the end and partition members with the dowel pins serving to maintain the parts in proper relation. These dowel ,pins are preferably placed in the marginal edges of the end and partition members with the pointed ends thereof outermost so as to permit of the ready guiding of the pins into the sockets in the cleat members.

When the crate has been assembled, binding strips 21 are placed about the meeting edges of the side members of the crate at the abutting ends of the cleats, and secured by small nails or other means for rigidly re.- taining the crate members in proper assembled relation. If found desirable, small nails 20 may be driven through the center of the end cleats 14: and into the end memhers 11 in order to hold certain sides of the crate in proper relation when one side of the crate has been opened as shown in Figure 2 or when filling the crate for shipment.

As is clearly shown in Figures 3, a and 5, when the crate is in a collapsed condition, the end and partition members may readily be placed in the spaces formed between ad- .jacent side members, and held against loss or misplacement by small nails or the like 22 driven through the slats ot the side members. It will also be observed that'when the crate is in a collapsed condition, the crate members will present a substantially rectangular packet with fiat top and bottom, thus permit ting a number of the packets being easily stacked without habillty ot'them falling over. By observing Figure 5, it will be seen tween the slats for preventing separation of the crate members.

lVhen desiring to collapse the crate structure for reshipment, it is merely necessary to pull the side members loose and preferably remove the binding strips 21 for permitting of the crate membersbeing lapped into compact form.. If desired, when a large numher of the crates are being prepared for reshipment, the binding strips may remain attached to the side members and the sides flattened out for permitting of a number (if the side structures being bound into compact form.

It will be apparent that the crate may be readily assembled by an ordinary layman by merely aligning the dowel pins-With the sockets provided in the side cleats and driving the side members into abutting relation with the marginal edges of the end and partition members.

lVhere the crates are assembled in lar e numbers, it will be seen that a material advantage will be had by reason of the inter changeable features of the members employed for construction of the crates.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that a novel and practical collapsible crate has been provided which may be readily collapsed into a compact form for shipment, and yet not containing a greater amount of material in its construction than is employed in the rigidly constructed crates of this character as are now in common use.

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of the invention herein shown and described,

without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:" x

1. In a collapsible crate, a plurality of separate side members provided withtransverse cleats, heads of a like thickness as that of the cleats of the side members, disposed With their marginal edges in abutting rela-' tion with the confronting faces of said cleats,

and retaining devices for said heads for maintaining the cleats in bordering relation about the heads with the faces of the heads flush with the outside side faces of said cleats.

' QQAcollapsiblc crate comprising in combination, four identically formed interchangeable side members, each comprising a plurality of spaced apart slats, two transverse end cleats, and' an intermediate transversev clcat, and. two end members for said end cleats, and a bracing partition for said intermediate 'eleat,.said end members and bracing partition of like dimensions and interchangeable, and disposed in engagement with their respective cleats.

CHARLES SIMPSOhl. 

